CHAPTER EIGHT
Lord Nrsitnhadeva
Slays the King of the Demons
As described in this chapter, Hiranyakasipu was ready to kill his own son
Prahlada Maharaja, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in
front of the demon as Sri NrkeSari, half lion and half man, and killed
him.

Following the instructions of Prahlada Maharaja, all the sons of the
demons became attached to Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of God-
head. When this attachment became pronounced, their teachers, Sanda
and Amarka, were very much afraid that the boys would become more
and more devoted to the Lord. In a helpless condition, they approached
Hiranyakasipu and described in detail the effect of Prahlada’s preaching.
After hearing of this, Hiranyakasipu decided to kill his son Prahlada.
Hiranyakasipu was so angry that Prahlada Maharaja fell down at his feet
and said many things just to pacify him, but he was unsuccessful in
satisfying his demoniac father. Hiranyakasipu, as a typical demon, began
to advertise himself as being greater than the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, but Prahlada Maharaja challenged him, saying that
Hiranyakasipu was not God, and began to glorify the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, declaring that the Lord is all-pervading, that every-
thing is under Him, and that no one is equal to or greater than Him.
Thus he requested his father to be submissive to the omnipotent
Supreme Lord.

The more Prahlada Maharaja glorified the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the more angry and agitated the demon became. Hiranyakasipu
asked his Vaisnava son whether his God existed within the columns of
the palace, and Prahlada Maharaja immediately accepted that since the
Lord is present everywhere, He was also present within the columns.
When Hiranyakasipu heard this philosophy from his young son, he
derided the boy’s statement as just the talk of a child and forcefully
struck the pillar with his fist.

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